Pneumatic press



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GOTTLIEB SCHNASSE, JR., ANDYTHEODOR PAFFRATH, OF ELWOOD, INDIANA.

PN EUMATIC PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,128, dated August6, 1895. Application tiled April 12, 1895. Serial No. 545,516. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that we, Go'rTLIEE SoHNAssE, Jr., and THEoDoE PAEERATH,residents of Elwood, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Presses;

vand we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings', which form a part of this specification,and in whichy Figure lis a side elevation of our improved atmospheric orpneumatic press complete and ready for use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view of the same on a vertical plane through the middle of theair-cylinders, mold, and follower or platen. f

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in bothfigures.A

Our invention relates to pneumatic presses, or presses operated bycompressed air, and

. it consists in the improved construction and combination of operativeparts of an apparatus of thatI type, as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed.

On the accompanying drawings, the reference-letter A denotes the bed orbase of the machine, the central part'or body of which is recessed toform a hollow inold or intaglio die a, which may be of any desiredproportions and shape, according to the purposes for which the press isto be used. On theexample shown on the drawings we have illustrated apress of our improved construction adapted for the manufacture ofcofiins or burial-caskets from pressed glass. At opposite ends of thisrecessed bed A a are the posts or standards B B, supporting a crosspieceC, to the under side of which the aircylinders D, D', and D2 are boltedfirmly. These cylinders or air-pumps are each provided with a plunger orpiston E, the rod F of which works through an air-tight stuffingbox e inthe lower end or head of the cylin` der, the lower ends of the threepiston-rods being rigidly connected to one another by a horizontal baror plate G, the projecting opposite ends of which have apertures g forthe insertion of a perpendicular guide-rod H, (one or more at eachend',) upon the upper end of which is fastened a rubber block or bufferh, held in place by a nut h'. Encircling each of the same rods H belowthe corresponding apertured end of plate G is a strong helical spring I,which operates,'when plate G is released, to instantly relieve it fromthe mold and forceV it, with its follower or platen, in an upwarddirection toward the buffers h.

The platen or cameo die a corresponds, of course, in size andconguration to the moldor intaglio die a, so as to form, whenpresseddown into the molten glass in the mold, the interior ofthecasket, and is fastened to the lower ends of the several piston-rods FFF below the follower-plate G. In order to reduce the weight of thisplaten and make it easier to release and lift from the mold, it may berecessed, as shown at b b, on its upper side, or it may be made hollow,which will answer the same purpose.

As all the air-pumps D, D', and D2 are constructed Yand operate alike,the description of one will suffice for all. By reference to Fig. 2 onthe drawings it will be seen that each cylinder has on one side,'nearits'lower end, an offset J, which forms an air-chest or valvechest,within which the slide-valves K and K' work up and down in unisonoperated by the valve-rod lo. The three valve-rods, one for eachcylinder, are all fastened at their lower end in a cross-bar L, whichconnects the several piston rods F F F above the follower- 'fer nencircling the aperture in the air-chest through which the valve-rodworks, so as to cushion the upstroke of the same. That part of eachvalve-rod 1c which works within the air-chest J is provided, as alreadystated, with two Valves K and K', adapted, respectively and alternately,to open and close the airports M and N. The former of these M leads fromthe chest or air-receiver J up into the IOC upper end of its appropriatecylinder, while the latterN leads from the lower end of the chestobliquely down into the lower end of the cylinder. In the position ofthe parts illustrated on the drawings, in which the platen a is shown inits lowermost position, or at the end of its downstroke, embedded intothe material (not shown) with which the mold a may be illed, the inletto port N is open for the ingress of air into the cylinder below thepiston, for the purpose and with the result of forcing this in an upwarddirection and releasing the follower from the mold, while the upper portM is open for the exhaust of the compressed air above the piston used indriving this down. On one side of each valvechest J are twoexhaust-ports M and N,vone for each port M and N, and also anintermediate port O for the inlet ot' live air through the air-pipes P,which connect the cylinders with the air-compressor, (not showng) andthe valves K and K are so arranged relative to said ports that- Whenlive air enters the cylinder through one it'will exhaust through theother, and vice versa. As seen in Fig. 2, the platen a is represented ashaving almost reached the end of the downstroke. A slight furtherAdownward movement will canse the valves K and K to be shifted, whichwill open communication between the upper part of the cylinder and theexhaust M' through the port M, and at the same time will opencommunication between the live-air pipe and lower part of the cylinderthrough the port N. This reciprocating adjustment of valves K and K iseffected by means of the valve-rods 7c, which, as has already beenpointed out, are fastened to and move with the cross-bar L and pistonrods F, and to prevent jarring or concussion on the up and down strokesof the valve-rods these are provided, as has also been explained, withthe butter-springs Z m and buffer-collars It. The return movement of theplaten on the beginning of the upstroke of the pistons is facilitatedand expedited by the end springs L L, which are shown compressed on oneside of Fig. 2 and extended on the other side of said figure.

It will be seen that this press is entirely automatic, exceedinglysimple in construction, and therefore strong and durable, and that it isvery compact, so as to require comparatively little space for itsmanipulation and operation.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States- In a pneumatic press of thedescribed type, the combination with the recessed bed containing themold or intaglio-die and thereciprocatory platen or cameo-die, of thepiston rods fastened in said die and connected by the apertnred plate Gand parallel connecting bar L; gnide-rods l'l; springs l; pistons F;valve-rods k provided with butter-springs Z and m, and collars c; andair-cylinders pro- -vided with valve-chests, inlet-ports and exhaust,constructed and arranged to operate substantially in the manner and i'orthe purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own We have hereuntoafiixed our signatures in presence ot' two Witnesses.

GOTTLIEB SCIINASSE, Jn. 'll-IEODOR IAFFRATH.

Witnesses:

` C. KLUEN,

S. W. GlPsoN.

